William f



W. F. PATTEN SYRINGE Filed Sept. 22. 1926 Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

j 1,646,256 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. PATTEN, O WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.

*SYRINGR `Application led September 22, 1926. Serial No. 138,991.

This linvention relates to certain improvements in syringes; and thenature and objects of the invention will be readily recognized andunderstood by those skilled in the arts involved in the light of thefollowing explanation and detailed description of the accompanying'drawings `illustrating what I at present consider to be the preferredembodiments or mechanical expres.-r`

sions of my invention from among various otherforms, arrangements,combinations and constructions of which the invention is capablewithinthespirit and scope thereof.

. The invention is. particularly directed to syringes employed forhypodermic injections in the `practice of medicine and dentistry,

' and is more specifically concerned with such `syringes when of thosetypes embodying a glass barrel or cylinder within which a glass plungeror piston is operatively mounted for drawing a charge into the barreland for ejecting or forcing the charge therefrom in performing ahypodermic injection, although the invention is not limited to suchtypes of syringes or to the materials of which formed.

These types of hypodermic syringes are generally typified by a groundglass plunger rod'of the same diameter throughout its length which isvery accurately ground to form a close. running it with and in thesyringe cylinder or barrel to provide a piston therefor, and inoperation and use these plunger rods or pistons frequently fall or slideout and drop from the syringe barrels and are broken, soiled orotherwise rendered `unfit for further use. Due to the very accurate fitrequired of these plunger rods they are expensive and often diflicult toquickly replace, and where no replacement is immediately accessible andan emergency calls for immediate use of a hypodermic syringe, seriousconsequences to a patient can result.

One of the fundamental objects of the present invention is to eliminatepossibility of a syringe plunger rod or piston falling or beingaccidentally displaced from a syringe, as Well as to provide for readycontrol of the plunger position in the syringe barrel where and whendesired. f

Another object of the invention is to provide for maintaining a syringeplunger rod.

or piston against accidental displacement from a syrinUe barrel, throughfrictional engagement of the rod with an element formed `from and as apart of the syringe..`

Another object of the invention is to provide a resilient member forfrictionally engaging the plunger or piston rod of a syringe to preventaccidental displacement of the rod and for holding the rod in a desiredposition, which member is so designed, formed and `mounted as to in noway interfere with the normal use and operation of the syringe, andwhich will not mar, scratch or otherwise injure the surface of the rodfrictionally engaged thereby.

A further object of the` invention is to form and provide a member forfrictionally engaging a syringe plunger rod to prevent accidentaldisplacement of the rod, from and as an integral part of therubber orother material head of the syringe grasped by the fingers in operatingthe syringe and used as in which similar reference characters refer ftocorresponding parts throughout the several -iigures thereof:

Fig. l, is a view in elevation of a syringe 1filling container with a`syringe mounted therein and a resilient member of theinventionv formedfrom the rubber syringe head and container stopper, in frictionalengagement with the syringe plunger rod in accordance with theinvention. Y

Fig. 2, is a vertical longitudinal section through the Lcontainer andsyringe of Fig.

l, with the plunger rod raised and showing the rod engaging member ofthe invention in operative position. Fig. 3, is a top plan view of thecontainer and syringe and of the member engaging the plunger rod, withthe latter in sectio taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, isa side elevation ofthe stopper forming rubber head of thesyringe showing the'rod engaging member formed therefrom in positionprior to bending upwardl into operative rod engaging position n is'-clo'sino the; cut or incision through the head by which the member isformed therefrom.

plunger rod, with a modilied form of rod engaging memberriernied on. andlfrom. .the..

Y syringe head.V

y Fig. 6, is a. top plan View` ofV the headfl Y and member of Fig. 5,with the plunger rod Y in transverse section.andoperatively engaging thememberf" A foi-'maiid type 'o'l liypoderinic syringe ispresen-teclherewith embodying va glass barrel -or cylinder and a glassplunger-br piston rod -Inountedtherein, together with a rubber'-,s'yringe vhead which is grasped by thelingers linfoperating thesyringe and which'also v 4fo-rriis-astopper'or' clos-ure inliflling *thesyringefrom a container.` "However, thedis- If c'los'e'df type ofsyringeis purely-.by way of eXamplea-ndfnot-of limitation, and is selected 2"because Ois presentsthe problem `and dili- `cul-ties overcome `by theVinvention Iin a high l'deiggree--a-nd thus serves to more clearlyillustrate rand -bring' forth -the invention, .the pijneiples-andfea-tures iof which are capable "-5 of general application Vto syringe-sand the *like effet-lier' forms, types and materials, as lwillbeqreadilyrecognized bylthose skilled .iin-this art. Y

In theexample hereof, referring now to :iu-Figs: 2 and f1 of thedrawings inparticular, .all hypodermicsyringe is disclosed whichincludestliefglass barrel orvcylinder havingftlie liypoderinicy needle11- at the dis- 'lchargee'n'd thereof and the' opposite end open toreceive aplunger rod and' formed 'with a kradia'lf-lange i12-'extendingtherefrom and therearound. 'A ground glass plunger rod *l1/Lis s lidablyfitted into the openend of fthe syringe barrel y10 land extendsthereinto ,.40 Atofformatightrunning iit therewith and providet-he'piston or jplungerfor drawing` a. charge ofv liquid intothe-ba-rrel*aiidf for eje'cting the `saine ftlierefrom ltlirougli tlieInee'dlef11atthe'jdischaige end of the :barrel The outer vend`offplunger rodv 14; is

'fferined with? the loperating headA 15 for r engagenient bytlie "hand,usually the' thumb thereof, tonforce the rod inwardly and ejectacha-rgefrom the barrel.` 'The plunger rod i1/Lis of the same diameterthroughout its `length and is yerycarefully and accurately ground `tovform' the 4Arequired' tight but freely '-slidingitwitli the innersurface of the barrel 10. In practice it-isffoundypartieularly 5f* =ivv',lierift-he'syringe is heldfw-iththe 4needle 11 finleyatedposition, thatthe rod 14 frequent- -flyvslidesand dropisfrom the barrel 10 and isbroken or otherwise rendered unfit for fur- Maherfuse,` as-will bereadilyrecognized by *iU--.theseffamiliarwith such i types of sy-ringes.

-- end pf'barrejl 10 Aofthe. syringe,in= the present example,farubberhead `or stopper 161-is ymounted thereover andft-herearcund, the head-165- being'form'ed with an axial bore receivingfanel through; which thesyringe barrel extends.

In mounted position the rubber -headl'iits up against and receives theflange `12 lof barrel 10,and isforined adjacent its klower end with thecircumferential beadv 17, y yi:.-a s;,-will be clear by reference toFig.V 2 of the drawings inparticular.` This head 16 -ernis a handsordinger hold in the operation of the syi-ingefin carrying out-aninjection 4therewith.as will beifclear totliosei skilled in theiart,'and' .further :forms .and .provides a stopper: for positioning i`the `syringe in 'and iclosing a container from-'which tliesyringe is.te fbe filled. '1'For-.exainple, insFigs. 1 vand 2, acontainer 18.issliown inlthe formfof a tubeclosed at'one'end and onenatrtheelp-y posite end with a flaring mouthfand a groove "19 tlierearound. Thechargefor'the syringe is placed-inthe `container 118, andthe syringe:barrel is inserted and .extended-into container -18 witlrftlieastopperor rubber: head 116 tting 'into and closing.` `the container and.position-x ingthe syringe-therein. I'Thezbead 717401? the syringe head16. lits into .grooyefl-:Q ofzthe con- Vtainer and lioldsth-e head`16in` closingiposition against displacement, so that :therod i141.caribe islid. or. moved.` outwardly i:.througigh syringe-barrelflOandthe desired'charge pdrawnithereinto.

fNow, according toatheinvent-ion, a member E20. is #providedfrictionallyf engaging tthe lplunger .rod 14 `to .prevent :accidentalldisplfacementfthereof ffromfbarrel f\1()` but. withv out interferingwith' .the-normal operation of `the plu-nger rod Orhandlingzofthesyringe finfperforming-.an injection.: 4This memberfQO is formed `from@the 1 rubber Vhead tor stopper -16fby transversely slitting or. cuttingthrough ythe head adistan'cebelow the outer end thereies Hiiiat-elyequal .to :the v.depth Vorthiclmess Vvof l oli', inuthis instance `.atai distance approxilbarrel flange .12',ialtho'ugh not solimited, and

terminating inwardly .or transversely th rough Vthe head a .distancesligliftlybeyond .the longitudinal center of-Hthestopper boren-andtheplunger rod. 14. The cut or `incision through Ahead '16to forniinemberi-QOisshown at-.f`21

in Fi g'. 410i .the drawings, and willl be .funden stood'byreference'thereto. The member 2l) is then rai sed and.. bentx ,upwardlyand. out` .iw-ardly from the iboydy. of4 liead.16,-to yform in eect anoutwardly extended bridge over and across o n-esidezoffthetopen end ofsyringe Y .lbarrelglwith the outer cross portion .oftthe memberipiioviding. a `bar for len-qagingtlie plunger rod.

` 1 rIlie .syringe `plunger-rod 1.4. isinserted into lthe barrel: 10-with the member'i 20 'bearing against the rod under tension-torictionally engageitliefsaine, :due to vthe resiliency or -At theoperating or'plunger rod receiving i Velasticity of.` Ithe material`from which ffoi'med,

1 and prevents. accidental .displacement ofthe ber 20 is formed will notscratch, mar or otherwise injure the accurately ground surface of rod14, yet will exert sufficient pressure thereon to frictionally engagethe rod and prevent its dropping from the s ringe, without interferingwith the norma operation of the plunger rod. The friction or holdingeffect of member 20 is intensified because of the ground glass surfaceof rod 14 engaged by the rubber surface of the member, as will bereadily apparent. The Amember 20 does not project laterally beyond thesyringe head and is so designed as to in no way interfere with the usualhandling of the syringe or the functions oi the syringe head 16. n

A modified form of. frictional engagin member 22 is disclosed in Figs. 5and 6 of the drawings, in which form member 22 is formed as an integralprojection extending from the outer side of head 16 and inclinedinwardly toward and a distance over and above one side of the open endof the syringe barrel for engagement with the plunger rod 14. In theexample hereof, the outer 'free end of member 22 is provided with atransverse groove or notch 23 to receive plunger rod 14, and the memberis so designed that it is pressed outwardly with the rod in position andis thus maintained under and exerting tension on and against the rod.Obviously, the head 16, can be formed of other materials than rubber, orthe member 22 can be formed as a separate element of thev same ordifferent material from head 16, and embedded or secured therein, andthe invention includes and contemplates such formations and mounting ofthe member.

It is also evident that various changes, modifications, variations andsubstitutions might be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention and hence I do not wish to limit myselfto theexact and specific disclosures hereof.

Desiring to protect my 'invention in the broadest manner legallypossible, what I claim is:

1.V In a syringe, including a barrel and a plunger therein, a head onthe barrel adapted to form and be positioned as a closure for acontainer for positioning the syringe therein, and a member formed-fromsaid head frictionally engaging the plunger to prevent accidentaldisplacement thereof from the barrel. Y

2. In a syringe embodying a barrel and a plunger rod slidably extendingtherein, a head on the barrel, and a relatively soft, resilient materialmember on the head frictionally en aging the extended end of the plungerrod.

3. In a syringe embodying, a barrel, and a plunger rod slidablyextending therein, a rubber head on the barrel, and a member formed fromand integral with said head frictionally engaging the extended end ofthe plunger end.

4:. In a syringe embodying a barrel and a plunger rod therefor, a headsurrounding the end of the barrel through which the plunger rod extends,anda soft, resilient material member on the outer side of said headfrictionally engaging the outwardly extending portion of the rod.

5. In a syringe embodying a barrel and a plunger rod slidably extendingtherein, a head of soft, resilient material on the barrel at the endthrough which said rod slidably extends, and a portion of said headextended outwardly and frictionally engaging said plunger rod.

6. In a syringe embodying a barrel and a plunger rod slidably mountedtherein and extending outwardly through one end thereof, a rubber headon the barrel around the end thereof through which said rod extends, anda portion of the outer end of said head severed and bent outwardly toform a member bearing against said rod under tension and rictionallyengaging the same.

7. In a syringe embodying a barrel and a plunger rod slldably mountedtherein and extending outwardly through one end thereof, a rubber headaround the end of the barrel through which said rod extends, said headformed with a transverse cut extending partially therethrough adjacentthe outer side thereof and. terminating inwardly adjacent the `oppositeside of the barrel, and the portion of the outer end of the head oversaid cut bent outwardly to form a member bearing against Vandfrictionally engaging the outwardlyextended plunger rod.

ASigned at ,Washingtom D. C., this 18th day of Sept., 1926. j

WILLIAM F. PATTEN.

